Devils sweep Bulldogs in doubleheader

Thursday

Apr 18, 2013 at 10:00 AM

GREG MATICS

RAVENSWOOD – Jesse Brown pitched a two-hit gem with 12 strikeouts and Heath Burgess fanned nine in a five-hitter as the Ravenswood Red Devils swept a baseball doubleheader from visiting Doddridge County Saturday at Wright Field.In the opening game, Red Devil southpaw junior Jesse Brown had his curve ball working, fanning 12, walking two and allowing just a pair of single in a complete-game 11-2 win.

Ravenswood grabbed the lead with four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Nic Ballard led off with a single and advanced to second on an error. Brown struck out but reached first base on a passed ball on the third strike and Ballard hustled in to score throw to first. Thomas Sturm singled in Brown and Ben Johnson drove in Sturm, advancing to third when the sharp single got past the center fielder. Johnson then scored on Devon Crews' RBI ground out.

The Bulldogs sliced the 4-0 deficit in half with a pair of runs on one hit and a handful of errors.

The Devils went scoreless for two innings, stranding three base runners, but then exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Burgess led off with a walk and stole second and third bases. He scored on Trey Hatcher's RBI bloop single to center field. Ballard singled to center field, and both Hatcher and Ballard scored when a pick-off throw to third sailed down the left field line. After a walk, Sturm lofted a bloop single to right field for an RBI and Crews drove a two-run triple to left center field.

Ravenswood added a single run in the bottom of the sixth to cap the 11-2 win.

Josh Smith took the pitching loss for the Bulldogs, pitching six innings with six strikeouts, seven walks and six hits allowed. Michael Fraley pitched the final two innings, fanning none, walking four, allowing two hits and two hitting batters.At the plate for Ravenswood, Devon Crews had a triple and four RBIs. Thomas Sturm had two singles and two RBIs; Nic Ballard, two singles; and Ben Johnson (two RBIs) and Trey Hatcher (RBI), a single.

Josh Smith had one of Doddridge's two singles.

In the second game of the twin bill, Heath Burgess fanned nine, walked three, scattered six hits and hit one batter on his way to a complete-game 8-4 win.

The game was scoreless through four and one-half innings, before Ravenswood broke through with a single run in the bottom of the fifth. The Bulldogs stranded seven base runners for the game.

In the fifth, Thomas Sturm laced a two-out single and Will Schindler followed with a RBI triple down the right field line to score Sturm. Schindler was caught in a rundown between third base and home plate on a pick-off move by the Bulldog pitcher Michael Farley to end the inning.

Ravenswood then exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth, after Doddridge ahd tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the top of the sixth. Doddridge scored after a lead-off walk was followed up by an RBI double. A strikeout and a popup to first ended the Bulldog inning.

Burgess helped out his own cause in seven by lacing a single to left field that drive in three runs. Logan Jarrett led off by reaching on a error by the Bulldog second baseman and Devon Crews walked. Issac Crow was walked intentionally to load the based prior to Burgess's three-run shot that got past the left fielder. Burgess advanced all the way to third base on the play. Ben Johnson's RBI single scored Burgess, who stole second. Patrick Click's RBI single to center field scored Johnson and Thomas Sturm's RBI double scored Click. Jarrett's RBI ground out to first scored Sturm.

Doddridge plated three runs in the top of the seventh on after errors set up the first run and back-to- back two-out doubles scored two more runs. Burgess then enticed the next Bulldog batter to ground out to Crews at short for the final out.

At the plate, Sturm had a single, double and RBI for the Devils. Will Schindler added a triple and RBI; Burgess, a single and three RBIs; Ben Johnson and P.J. Click, a single and RBI each; and Logan Jarrett, an RBI.

Michael Fraley took the loss for the Bulldogs, fanning none, walking one and allowing four hits over five innings. Josh Briggs pitched one inning, fanning one, walking two and allowing four hits.

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